There are many types of bangles, that is, bracelets, anklets, and the like. Some of these have one or more arcuate sections, and are adapted to releasably encircle a body parts, such as a neck, ankle or wrist. In some cases, a bangle closing mechanism (i.e., a mechanism or device for joining two adjacent bangle sections) may simply be a chain, a clasp, a hook, or the like. In other cases, it is necessary to provide a more complicated mechanism.
This problem is compounded when the adjacent bangle halves are arcuate and tubular. In this case, it is often desirable to have the bangle closing mechanism appear as a smooth, substantially-continuous extension of the two arcuate tubular bangle halves. Thus, the bangle closing mechanism must be both functional and decorative.
It has heretofore been known to provide a bangle closing mechanism for arcuate tubular bangle halves in the form of an elongated keeper bar. The keeper bar had an out-turned distal end that simulated the shape or appearance of an L-shaped hook. This hook end portion was arranged within one of the bangle halves. An intermediate portion of the keeper bar was passed through an opening provided in the associated bangle half, and spanned the gap between the two halves. The other marginal end portion of the keeper bar was configured as a catch member that included two spring-biased tines. The free ends of these tines were adapted to be squeezed together to permit insertion of the same into a complimentarily-configured opening in the other bangle half. The keeper bar was formed so as to be either straight, or to have a plurality of series-connected linear segments (i.e., an open polygonal configuration). With these prior art embodiments, it was Applicants' experience that the hook end portion of the keeper bar often experienced difficulty in sliding along the inside of the bangle half in which it was located. In other words, the out-turned hook portion seemed to inhibit free sliding movement of the keeper bar within the associated bangle half. At the same time, it was also Applicants' experience that the integral spring that biased the tines to move apart, was unduly stiff.
Accordingly, it would be generally desirable to provide an improved bangle closing mechanism that overcomes these defects noted in the prior art.